NAGPRA
Gift presented to the Peabody Museum from the Maine Tribes in
acknowledgement of repatriation during ceremonial transfer. Sept, 2021.
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)
NAGPRA requires the Peabody and other museums, in consultation with Tribes, to identify and return Native American human remains, funerary objects, objects of cultural patrimony, and sacred objects. The Peabody has a dedicated staff who work on the implementation of NAGPRA and the ethical and moral imperative it represents.
NAGPRA at the Peabody
Inquiries, Contacts, and Forms
Community Partnerships
Peabody Museum NAGPRA Advisory Committee
The museum’s NAGPRA Advisory Committee advises the Peabody Museum Director on issues and decisions in regard to the implementation of NAGPRA, as well as providing counsel to the Peabody Faculty Executive Committee and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Announcement Regarding Interim Research Policy for Human Remains and Associated Funerary Objects Under NAGPRA
The Peabody Museum recognizes its significant role in the colonial history of museum collecting and the ethical imperative to address that legacy and to work to repair it. The Peabody upholds NAGPRA as Federal law and promotes NAGPRA as a key mechanism to initiate such repair through dialogue with Indigenous nations. This work includes a concrete commitment to the return of individuals and their funerary belongings to fulfill the ethical and moral imperative of NAGPRA.
What is NAGPRA?
NAGPRA requires the Peabody Museum and other museums to repatriate culturally affiliated Native American human remains, funerary objects, objects of cultural patrimony, and sacred objects. The statute, along with subsequent administrative regulations, sets forth a detailed administrative process that museums must follow, including the inventorying of relevant holdings, communications and consultations with tribal nations, publication of notices in the Federal Register, and eventual transfer of human remains and cultural items to tribal nations. Details of the statute, regulations and process is available at National NAGPRA, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.